Becket selectwoman unopposed in bid for second term

BECKET -- Select Board incumbent Jeanne Pryor will coast to a second term on Saturday, when she will run unopposed in the town election.

Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

Pryor worked as the town clerk for nearly a decade before retiring four years ago. In September 2011, Pryor won a special town election.

Town morale has improved, Pryor said, following the hiring of new Town Administrator Edward Gibson and Highway Superintendent Christopher Bouchard. She praised them as responsive, knowledgeable employees.

Pryor's goal was "to make sure everyone is following the rules and everyone has the opportunity to talk equally," and that has been accomplished, she said.

Pryor said her next term will be focused on finding budget efficiencies, creating clear guidelines for committees, and updating the employee handbook and the town's bylaws. And she said she'd stay watchful about opportunities for developing affordable housing.

The town's only contested race is a five-year term on the Planning Board, in which incumbent Martin Schlanger will compete against Mark Karlberg.

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